Newsletter

Faith community working to ensure Tent City's future

Local faith-based groups and churches are fighting to keep Tent City alive as the city considers rezoning the location.

Alton Hanson looks around his tent in the Tent City homeless compound near Avenue A and East 13th Street on Saturday. The City Council is scheduled to consider zoning issues for the Tent City property.

Since March, Tent City, located at 13th Street and Avenue A, has provided a space for the homeless to pitch temporary shelters.

Owned by Link Ministries, the location is spare. Residents have a small area for their tents and access to portable restrooms and a small building providing some protection from the elements.

But the dusty plot could be even more spare should the city decide against rezoning the location as a shelter.

Gone would be the tents; gone would be their inhabitants, too.

It’s a vision a number of churches and faith-based groups are trying to make sure doesn’t come to pass.

A temporary shelter

Tent City fills a gap in the continuum of care services for the homeless, said Les Burrus, who works with Link Ministries. Neither Tent City nor Link Ministries receive taxpayer dollars or are otherwise financially supported by the city of Lubbock.

The Salvation Army of Lubbock provides emergency indoor shelter for individuals and families for three nights every 90 days, with some exceptions.

Salvation Army of Lubbock did include a rustic, outdoor shelter intended for the chronically homeless in its five-year plan, introduced earlier this year.

When the outdoor structure will be completed within the five-year plan is not clear, and depends on donations and capital raised, Paton said.

“Our focus is the permanent shelter program,” she said.

The program includes the three-month transitional shelter, and a two-year transitional housing program expected to open next spring, Paton said.

The transitional program targets mostly families desiring to exit cyclical homelessness, and not those struggling with chronic homelessness, Paton said.

For those seeking shelter for a period of time longer than three nights and shorter than three months, or for those who do not abide by or care for the Salvation Army’s shelter policies, Tent City remains the primary source for shelter.

Though Tent City provides temporary shelter for its residents, the location is intended as a long-term solution to sheltering those without homes, Burrus said.

“There’s always going to be homeless, and people getting kicked out of their apartments and their houses and everything else,” he said. “This gives them an opportunity — a place to come and live. Yeah, it’s a tent, (but) it’s better than living on the street.”

Moving the encampment farther from downtown would remove residents from the downtown services and income on which many depend, Burrus said.

“It’s about as far away as you can go from downtown and still support the population that needs those resources,” emphasized the Rev. Ben Pickett, associate minister of Monterey Church of Christ.

The church is part of a 16-church coalition created to improve network efforts to help the homeless, address ongoing chronic homeless needs and support Tent City.

A far-off dwelling would require construction of a campus, really, with a presence from the service providers currently located downtown, Burrus said. Burrus and Pickett fear a move, especially one farther from downtown, would prompt Tent City residents to take refuge in downtown spaces and alleys.

Crime

Burrus said some area businesses have complained of increased crime since Tent City arrived at its current location.

But Burrus thinks the constant presence actually discourages crime.

He noted a reduction in the number of crimes reported in the area since Tent City’s March 2011 arrival.

Data support Burrus’ claims.

Between April and September 2010, 120 incidents were reported in the area, said Lubbock Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Jonathan Stewart. Incidents include, but may not be limited to, burglaries, assaults, traffic accidents and false alarms.

In contrast, April to September 2011 saw 88 reported incidents, Stewart said.

Importantly, Burrus said, Tent City also provides a secure shelter for residents; the encampment provides safety in numbers and, with its lockable gates, safety from ill-meaning passers-by.

Role of the faith community

Link Ministries is focusing much of its efforts on keeping Tent City where it sits.

“There’s not any (other) viable area and no one else has come up and said, “OK, here’s the land. Here’s where we can go,’ ” Burrus said.

Link Ministries and the coalition of churches are urging the City Council to rezone the 13th Street and Avenue A property for a shelter. Link Ministries recently began circulating an online petition it plans to deliver to the council.

The petition garnered 940 signatures during its first 24 hours, Burrus said.

“We’re at the mercy of private donors and churches to help,” he added — and he wants to keep it that way.

“I think raising awareness is the main thing,” Pickett said. People are busy, their lives complicated by a tough economy, he said. They may not be aware of the problems faced by the homeless, or that many of the homeless hail from Lubbock.

“From a Christian point of view, I believe we’re called to care for our neighbor,” Pickett said.

And he believes Lubbock residents will respond in kind once they become aware of the pressing needs of their homeless neighbors.